Maruti cars dispatch to Kashmir via Rail
Maruti Suzuki India Limited has achieved its highest-ever rail-based vehicle dispatches, moving over 5.85 lakh vehicles via Indian Railways in calendar year 2025. The milestone represents an 18% year-on-year increase over CY 2024 and underlines the carmaker’s sustained push towards cleaner, more efficient outbound logistics.
Alongside volume growth, the environmental impact has been significant. Maruti Suzuki estimates that rail-based dispatches in CY 2025 helped avoid 87,904 metric tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) emissions while saving more than 687 lakh litres (68.7 million litres) of fuel. The shift also contributes to reduced road congestion and lower dependence on fossil fuel imports.
Maruti Suzuki Rail Dispatch Over The Years
Rail Share Rises Fivefold in a Decade
Maruti Suzuki’s reliance on rail transport has grown sharply over the last decade. The share of rail in outbound logistics has increased from 5.1% in 2016 to around 26% in 2025, marking a more than fivefold rise. In absolute terms, rail dispatch volumes have expanded over 7.5 times, from nearly 77,000 vehicles in 2016 to over 5.85 lakh units in 2025.
Landmark Developments in 2025
CY 2025 was a defining year for the company’s green logistics strategy. Maruti Suzuki inaugurated India’s largest automobile in-plant railway siding at its Manesar facility, strengthening first-mile rail connectivity. The company also became the first automaker to dispatch vehicles by rail to the Kashmir Valley, routing consignments across the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River.
Commenting on the achievement, Managing Director & CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said the company aims to increase rail-based dispatches to 35% by FY 2030–31, aligning with India’s long-term net-zero target for 2070. He also reiterated Maruti Suzuki’s broader ‘Circular Mobility’ approach, which focuses on lowering emissions across the vehicle lifecycle—from design and manufacturing to logistics and end-of-life vehicle management.
Long-Term Rail Logistics Strategy
Maruti Suzuki has been an early mover in adopting rail for automobile logistics. It was India’s first automaker to secure an Automobile-Freight-Train-Operator (AFTO) licence in 2013. Since FY 2014–15, the company has transported over 28 lakh vehicles by rail, covering 22 dispatch hubs and more than 600 cities through a hub-and-spoke network.
Currently, Maruti Suzuki operates over 45 flexi-deck rakes, each capable of carrying around 260 vehicles per trip. In CY 2025, dispatches from the company’s Gujarat and Manesar in-plant railway sidings accounted for 53% of its total rail volumes, highlighting the growing role of integrated rail infrastructure in its logistics mix.